GP Challenge live stream: Kai Huckenbeck in the toughest race of the year

Germany’s hopes in the Speedway Grand Prix rest on Kai Huckenbeck, who secured his place in the Challenge in Terenzano with a maximum points win in the qualifying round in Glasgow. Following a strong performance at the European Championship opener in Grünberg (Zielona Góra), ten points in the Polish league and a maximum score in the Swedish league, the Werl native’s form is on the up. “I don’t know why it’s like this at the moment, but it seems everything’s back to normal. I haven’t actually changed anything and I’m just in a bit of a groove at the moment,” said Huckenbeck, who is keen to carry this very momentum with him to the Challenge in Terenzano. “I can’t remember the last time I raced down there. I’m trying to stay relaxed, approach it just like the last few races and try to put as little pressure on myself as possible.”

At the European Championships in Poland last weekend, Huckenbeck scored twelve points in a field of riders as strong as the one expected in Terenzano on Saturday (25 July). The only thing that’s niggling the German is his elimination in the Last Chance Heat, where he opted for the blue starting position and finished last. “Blue was really good at the start and in the middle of the race, and I assumed it still was. But I also messed up the start a bit, got boxed in at the first corner and then it was almost over. The points haul was quite decent for the first race in the European Championship,” Huckenbeck told SPEEDWEEK.com. He had been unable to deliver such performances during his previous GP appearances as a reserve rider and is somewhat at a loss as to why things aren’t going so well in the World Championship of all places. One reason could be: “As a stand-by rider, you can never plan that precisely and only find out a few days beforehand that you’re in the line-up. Then you usually have to get going quickly.”

If Huckenbeck manages to finish in one of the top four places at Terenzano, he would secure a place in the 2027 Grand Prix well in advance. If riders qualify for next year’s World Championship via both the Challenge and the Grand Prix, even the fifth or sixth-placed rider from the Challenge could still get a chance. Almost as a matter of tradition, there are always surprises. The race can be watched live via stream on FIM-Moto.tv on Saturday evening. It starts at 7.55 pm, and the broadcast costs €9.90.

Start list for the Speedway GP Challenge in Terenzano, Italy: